Women & Religion Resolution

WHEREAS, a principle of the Unitarian Universalist Association is to “affirm, defend, and pro­mote the supreme worth and dignity of every human personality, and the use of the democratic method in human relationships”; and

WHEREAS, great strides have been taken to affirm this principle within our denomination; and

WHEREAS, some models of human relationships arising from religious myths, historical mate­rials, and other teachings still create and perpetuate attitudes that cause women everywhere to be overlooked and undervalued; and

WHEREAS, children, youth and adults internalize and act on these cultural models, thereby tending to limit their sense of self-worth and dignity;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the 1977 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association calls upon all Unitarian Universalists to examine carefully their own religious beliefs and the extent to which these beliefs influence sex-role stereotypes within their own families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the General Assembly urges the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association to encourage the Unitarian Universalist Association adminis­trative officers and staff, the religious leaders within societies, the Unitarian Universalist theolog­ical schools, the directors of related organizations, and the planners of seminars and conferences, to make every effort to: (a) put traditional assumptions and language in perspective, and (b) avoid sexist assumptions and language in the future.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the General Assembly urges the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association to send copies of their resolution to other denominations examining sexism inherent in religious literature and institutions and to the International Association of Liberal Religious Women and the IARF (International Association for Religious Freedom); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the General Assembly request the Unitarian Universalist Association (a) to join with those who are encouraging others in the society to examine the rela­tionship between religious and cultural attitudes toward women, and (b) to send a representa­tive and resource materials to associations appropriate to furthering the above goals: and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the General Assembly requests the President of UUA to report annually on progress in implementing this resolution.

The Unitarian Universalist Association unanimously passed this resolution in General Assembly, Ithaca, New York, in 1977.